Please Help Naming a Blog: I work for a government agency that helps other agencies (state and local) with records management issues and public records law. We've been instructed to start a Records Management Blog and are trying to think of a title for the blog. [more inside]
posted by marxchivist
on Jun 5, 2012 -
15 answers

Which other countries (if any) have a specific, famous office for their heads of government, comparable to the Oval Office for the President of the United States? [more inside]
posted by aurelian
on May 2, 2012 -
8 answers

In 2010 or 2011 US congress passed some legislation which resulted in a reduction of unemployment benefits. For example, My 2 week unemployment check went from $520 to $476. What was the legislation?
posted by Charlie Lesoine
on Feb 6, 2012 -
7 answers

What large scale, generally peaceful and non-space related projects would be as fun to read about as the Apollo space program? Specific details are below the fold. [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher
on Feb 1, 2012 -
34 answers

When a drug company is trying to get the FDA to approve a new drug, my understanding is that they have to demonstrate that it's clinically effective and not acutely toxic for a finite period of time (weeks or months). But how long? [more inside]
posted by toomuchkatherine
on Dec 15, 2011 -
11 answers

An aquaintance of mine works for a defense contractor company as has a fairly high security clearance. They also have a serious drinking problem and have admitted that they are an alcoholic. However, they are afraid to go for treatment because they are concerned that they will lose their security clearance as a result. [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 30, 2011 -
25 answers

I'm curious about careers in financial-sector regulation. What kind of advanced education would help me get work with the U.S. Department of Justice, the FDIC, the SEC, or a state regulator? Is it better to focus on states (which ones?) or the federal government for this kind of stuff? Do some universities graduate more people into this kind of work than others? What kind of dues paying is required before the work gets interesting? What should I consider as I weigh either pursuing legal or finance training? [more inside]
posted by croutonsupafreak
on Nov 3, 2011 -
14 answers

My organization has 193 Twitter accounts we'd like to organize in lists on our flagship account. I want to copy-and-paste in a flat text list of Twitter handles (one on each line) and then click a button to make a list containing all of those accounts. How can I do this?
posted by Hammerikaner
on Oct 21, 2011 -
2 answers

I'm a young geologist considering long-term career options and life directions. Please tell me about your experiences (as a geologist) in grad school, industry, or government/regulation. Or your experiences working in video/photography, as that is an alternative career path I'm considering. [more inside]
posted by Strudel
on Sep 11, 2011 -
9 answers

As I watch the outpouring of emotion and this week long remembrance of the Twin Towers tragedy, I can’t help but think that this is a well planned marketing campaign of some sort, rather than, a spontaneous reaction to the anniversary of the event. Do any of our readers have information that would indicate that there is some sort of master plan? [more inside]
posted by Old Timer
on Sep 10, 2011 -
38 answers

I'm looking for research or advocacy groups that are critical of governments that hire consulting firms such as KPMG for budgetary advice or auditing purposes. Other than The Yes Men, please ;) [more inside]
posted by copystar
on Jul 28, 2011 -
2 answers

Can anyone explain to me the reason why the pay for members of the United States Congress is paid by the federal government and not their respective states? Was such a system ever considered and rejected and, if so, why? I recognize that the offices are federal, but their ties to their state is the very reason they are there. Wouldn't state legislatures want that control or were they happy to dump the costs onto the federal government? This seems like something that would have been debated very early in our history yet I can't find any info on it.
Thanks.
posted by Jamesonian
on Jul 7, 2011 -
7 answers

Is it too soon to start looking for another job? Difficulty level: trying to go from government to the private sector after five months... [more inside]
posted by SansPoint
on Jun 27, 2011 -
12 answers

What's the magic word to get long-term depression and Parkinson's Disease accepted as Service Related for the purpose of securing a Veterans Administration pension for an 80-plus-year-old Korea Conflict veteran? [more inside]
posted by toodleydoodley
on May 24, 2011 -
11 answers

After a rather disappointing year on the academic job market, I've been contacted for a phone interview at Big Government Laboratory for a position in Research Area of My Expertise. What to expect? How to prepare? [more inside]
posted by logicpunk
on Apr 4, 2011 -
8 answers

Can anyone point me toward some writing by a smart person in support of the GOP's budget? I'm not being snarky—I am sure that wealthy, anti-intellectual people looking out for their own interests is a motivation on the part of some congresspeople, but I am not ready to believe in a world where it is the only one. [more inside]
posted by zadermatermorts
on Mar 7, 2011 -
11 answers

So the UK will be asked to decide soon whether to keep the "first past the post" voting system for electing MPs, or to adopt the AV (alternative voting) model.
What I want to know is why "first past the post" is called "first past the post". What post is the winning candidate first past? [more inside]
posted by finding.perdita
on Mar 2, 2011 -
18 answers

Government/History/Religion question: is there a Latin phrase for a doctrine of belief in secular government (vs. theocracy or other religious governments) amongst a plurality of beliefs? [more inside]
posted by brownrd
on Feb 26, 2011 -
11 answers

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